Women’s unique experiences with the menopausal transition
Method Stream: Qualitative research
ECs: Only 14 EC
Description:
Menopause is an inevitable life transition affecting millions of women worldwide. Although it is a natural process, many symptoms such as hot flashes, depressive feelings and fatigue can persist for an average of eight years, causing significant suffering in daily life and potentially leading to absenteeism. The symptom profile varies for each woman and frequently overlaps with other hormonal and psychological conditions, such as premenstrual syndrome, burnout, depression and anxiety.
In 2025, around 60 in-depth interviews have been conducted and transcribed by bachelor students Psychology. Using a semi-structured interview in Dutch, German and even Spanish, women in perimenopause or up to 3 years postmenopause were interviewed about their experiences with the menopausal transition, coping strategies used, the role of health care professionals, social support and relations, personal growth and positive changes, and career and menopause at work.
In this assignment you will collaborate with up to 3 other master students to inductively create a coding scheme for in-depth analyses of all interviews. Each student will use this coding scheme to analyze 15-20 of the interviews, of which some might need to be translated first. See also www.spice-consortium.nl for more information and inspiration.
Example research questions are:
- What overarching themes emerge from women's narratives about menopause, and how do these reflect a diversity of lived experiences?
- What challenges and opportunities do women encounter during the menopausal transition, and how do they respond to these?
- What forms of personal growth, transformation, or meaning-making do women associate with the menopausal transition?